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Lauren Toyota’s vegan bacon mac and cheese will blow you away

I used to be staunchly against things like cashew cheese and coconut flakes made to taste like bacon. My reasoning is that if you want to eat cheese and bacon, eat the real thing and not a sad imitation of it. But I loosened my position once I met people who love the taste and texture of meat and dairy, but couldn’t eat it due to a variety of reasons ranging from medical to religious.

So this is where vegan food blogger (and former MuchMusic VJ) Lauren Toyota’s new cookbook comes in. In Hot For Food: Vegan Comfort Classics: 101 Recipes To Feed Your Face ($30, Penguin Canada), there are recipes for “bacon” made from coconut flakes, almonds, tofu and mushrooms; mock meat-based dishes such as chicken pot pie, crab cakes and bangers and mash, as well as vegan cheese sauces, gravies and hollandaise.

I was skeptical but after making her Bacon Mac and Cheese (twice), I was blown away at how delicious it was. OK, the mushroom bacon would never pass for the real thing, but it had the salty-sweet, umami-packed flavour that was wildly addictive. The cashew-based cheese sauce did, however, fool a few coworkers who had a bite.

From start-to-finish this took me just under two hours to make, including the time it took to prepare all the ingredients and bake the mac and cheese. But on the second test, I shaved off 20 minutes because I already knew the steps and had a few of the components already made.

It’s not a quick weeknight dinner, but I would definitely make this on a weekend when friends are over.

Bacon Mac and Cheese Skillet

To maximize efficiency, cook the mushrooms first. While they’re marinating, make the Parm. When the mushrooms are in the oven, boil the water needed to soak the cashews and cook the pasta. Keep the oven on after roasting the mushrooms for baking the mac and cheese later.

Visit a bulk food store such as Bulk Barn when acquiring ingredients for this book. It allows you to buy the precise amount of dried herbs, spices, bread crumbs, cashews, flour and nutritional yeast required for this recipe.

For the Mushroom Bacon

The book calls for just the mushroom caps, but when thinly sliced the stems cook up fine so I included them.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together soy sauce or tamari, maple syrup, liquid smoke, oil and paprika. Add mushrooms and let marinate for 15 minutes. Arrange marinated mushrooms in a single layer on baking sheet. Reserve leftover marinade for brushing.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping slices and brushing with reserved marinade at halfway point. Set aside any smaller shiitake pieces that are already crisp and slightly sticky. Remove tray from heat. Let cool completely before using immediately or refrigerating in an airtight container for up to a week.

For the Parm

This makes more than you need for the mac and cheese. Use the extra to sprinkle on other pasta dishes and salads.

2/3 cup (160 mL) raw cashews, almonds or shelled pistachios

1/4 (60 mL) nutritional yeast

1 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blitz until it produces a fine crumb texture. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three weeks.

Makes about 3/4 cup (180 mL).

For the Mac and Cheese

The original recipe calls for 2 tsp (10 mL) of chili powder. I used a fraction of that and it still gave me quite a wallop of spice, so use according to your tolerance for heat.

1/4 cup (60 mL) bread crumbs

1 tbsp (15 mL) the Parm (see recipe above)

1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano

1 tsp (5 mL) dried basil

1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) kosher salt, plus more for cooking pasta

1 cup (250 mL) raw cashews

3 cups (750 mL) elbow macaroni

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Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake on middle rack for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake on top rack for 10 minutes, or put under broiler for 5 minutes, until top is golden brown and edges are slightly bubbly.

Serve immediately or let cool completely to room temperature before refrigerating for up to a week. To reheat, add more non-dairy milk to make pasta creamy again.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Cook This Book is a bi-weekly column that looks at the latest cookbooks hitting the stands. Email karonliu@thestar.ca.

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